Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!

---Victor POV ---

Once the defenders of both Sangua Terra and Vigilus were sufficiently armed, the rest of my day was spent improving life within the Hyperia Hivesprawl. Starting with the terrible water situation, I formed a convoy of trucks and workers to gather water at Lake Dontor to replenish the hivesprawl's bone-dry water reserves. Having my fleet obliterate the surrounding area to ensure the daemons and Plague Guard would not be an issue, we set out once the dust settled. Tagging along with us to witness the miraculous cleansing of the putrid lake, Canoness Superior Blaise, Canoness Hrethnar, and Planetary-Governor Agamemnus observed my actions closely to see how I would do it. Placing just my index finger into the water, I used high-tier purification magic to remove all harmful impurities, Nurgle's curse, and toxins from the lake. Momentarily blinded by the brilliant flash of light that came with it, when the world came back into view to them, everyone's jaw fell to the ground.

"I… I must be seeing things…", Agamemnus stuttered, unable to comprehend how a lake went from putrid to pristine in a matter of moments. "This has to be some sort of trick…"

"There is no trick here.", I stated, taking a glass cup and filling it with lake water. "It is perfectly safe to drink."

Chugging it down right in front of them, I gave the three leaders a shrug and motioned for them to try it themselves. Sprinting to the water's edge, before their commanders could say a word, the workers plunged their heads into the water and began gorging themselves on water. After several large gulps of water, the workers flung their heads back and let out blissful sighs of relief.

"Primarch Stark has truly cleansed Lake Dontor; it is a miracle!", one of the workers proclaimed, "Praise be to the God-Emperor!"

Slowly approaching the lake's edge themselves, Agamemnus, Blaise, and Hrethnar knelt on the bank. Hesitantly sampling the water, the three leaders were shocked by the high-quality taste the water possessed now.

"It truly is purified…", Hrethnar muttered, in disbelief, "Lord Stark… how… how is this possible? No manner of science nor power of faith was able to cleanse this water."

"Through the use of purification magic and science.", I answered her with a grin.

"You mean the same Magic that the Algrand Empire utilizes, my Lord?", Blaise inquired, having heard about it from Rogue Traders.

"Yes, my native homeland utilizes the exact same power used there. Though our spells are different, we draw power from the same place.", I acknowledged.

"Is it possible for the people of this galaxy to utilize magic?", Agamemnus questioned.

"I have not met anyone in the Imperium of Man who possesses the natural ability to do so, but there are other ways ordinary people can utilize magic.", I confirmed, retrieving a crude holy sword from my inventory. "Give this a try!"

Tossing the weapon to Agamemnus, he slowly withdrew the blade from its scabbard, allowing its pure light to engulf the area. Amazed by the unknown power he was experiencing, Agamemnus stood up and swung the blade around a few times.

"Are you able to craft holy relics?", Blaise pressed me.

"No, the process for doing so was lost to time. You can occasionally find magical items in places called dungeons and labyrinths, but they are extremely rare.", I lied, 'I am not about to supply the Imperium of Man with magical items. Not only would they abuse it, but it would also require me to spend my valuable time crafting the items for them. There are more important things I must use my time for.'

Upon realizing the blade was extremely valuable, the Planetary-Governor fumbled around trying to sheath the sword. Shakily handing it back to me, I put the blade back in storage and took out three Blackstone Blades. Bestowing each of them with one, they graciously accepted them with a confused look.

"I handmade these blades using broken pylons from Cadia. According to Supreme Grand Master Draigo, they are powerful enough to bring down a Greater Daemon. While I do not expect you to fight a beast of that caliber, it will give you a great advantage over any normal foe you face.", I stated, "That said, do not blindly charge in believing it makes you untouchable. A blade is only as good as the person wielding it."

"Thank you, my Lord!", they said, gripping their gift tightly.

"Now then, let us fill up the empty tanks we brought with us to capacity. The people of the Hyperia Hivesprawl will need every drop we can take.", I commanded as I assisted the workers in hooking up hoses to the pumps.

Making several trips between the hivesprawl and lake, we successfully filled Hyperia's reserves to maximum capacity. With the biggest problem dealt with, I jumped into the trenches with my engineers to fix vital infrastructure systems around the hivesprawl.

---Evening---

Returning to New Genesis covered in dirt and grime, I immediately made a beeline for the shower to feel human again. Joining me halfway through, Amallyn and Ionica climbed in to help scrub my back. Letting myself relax in their company, the two women slid onto my lap once they were finished and leaned into my chest.

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?", I inquired, placing my hands on their hips.

"This is my way of thanking you for your intervention at Kaelac's Bane this afternoon. While I could not see you, I suspect you are the reason the Drukhari chose to flee instead of fighting me.", Amallyn remarked, as she planted a kiss on my cheek, "It is very reassuring to know I have someone in my corner when things get tough."

"A threat against my family is a threat against me.", I chuckled, with a fiendish smile. "They would have died before their weapons left their holsters or sheaths."

"In my case, I simply wanted to make my lover comfortable after a long day of hard work.", Ionica added, placing a hand on my chest. "Also… I was not about to let Amallyn get an even bigger lead than me."

Laughing at her comment together, I was happy to see them getting along. While I knew they would never be sisters, like Angelica, Clarice, Deirdre, and Oliva acted, there was a good chance they could become close friends. Letting out a collective sigh, as the warm water continued to beat down on us, we sat back and enjoyed each other's company.

Getting out of the shower thirty minutes later, I headed into the bedroom while the two women dried their hair. Taking the opportunity to call home and check in on my family, my call was answered by a very curious dragoness. Getting her face as close as possible to the holographic screen, Tohru stared at me for a few moments before speaking.

"Hey Lucoa, I think you guys have ghosts in your house!", Tohru announced, pulling her head back.

"That does not look like any ghost I have seen before.", Fafnir commented, staring at the screen curiously from afar as he ate a sandwich.

Walking into the kitchen to see what her friend was talking about, Lucoa immediately noticed the holographic screen. Pulling it over to her, with a hand gesture, my wife quickly introduced me to her friends.

"Fafnir, Tohru, this is my husband, Victor von Stark.", Lucoa said, with a cramped smile, "You really need to stop touching things, Tohru."

"Oh!!", Tohru acknowledged, with a concerned look, "So why is he trapped in that thing? Did someone put a curse on him!?"

"I am proud of you, Lucoa.", Fafnir commented, wiping a fake tear from his eyes.

"This is called a video call.", Lucoa laughed. "Victor is in a different galaxy right now, so this is how we communicate with him."

"Ah, I understand now!", Tohru stated, "I am sorry for doing whatever I accidentally did."

"It is fine.", I chuckled. "I just wanted to check in on my family and see how they were doing."

Calling the others into the kitchen, the rest of my family came running in to say hello to me. Asking me all sorts of questions about the expedition, they were eager to hear all about it. Giving them an overview of things, including Amallyn and Ionica's possible addition to our family, I ended things by telling them about the military operation tomorrow.

"So when do you think you will be coming home then?", Mylene asked, with an anxious look.

"If all goes well, I should be home in two to three days.", I answered, "To celebrate a successful expedition, how about we go out somewhere nice as a family? We can go anywhere you guys want to go."

"How about we try someplace new?", Roxanne suggested, "Is there any place good to eat in the Galactic Republic?"

"No idea, but I certainly know who to ask.", I chuckled. "I will make the arrangements for three days from now."

"Perfect!", Deirdre replied, glancing over at Lucoa and Mylene, "Well, dear, I believe we should get going. We have to make dinner and complete a few things before you arrive."

"I understand.", I said, as Amallyn and Ionica walked out of the bathroom. "When the operation wraps up tomorrow, I will give you a call."

Exchanging kisses through the screen, I disconnected from the call and turned to look at them. Wearing a pair of my old boxers and shirts, they gave me a goofy look as they crawled into bed beside me. Wrapping my arms around the two of them, the three of us quickly drifted off to sleep.